Combined glass-and lamp-supporting showcase rail



July 3, 1951 F". M. RESSINGER 2,559,371

COMBINED GLASS AND LAMP SUPPORTING SHOWCASE RAIL Filed June 1, 1948 Jkwezzzar .Pa Z-Kfiessakzy r @%r%\ Patented July 3, 1951 COMBINED GLASS- AND LAMP-SUPPORTING SHOWCASE RAIL Paul M. Ressinger, Highland Park, Ill.

Application June 1, 1948, Serial No. 30,332

2 Claims. 1

My invention relates to an improvement in display devices, and has for one purpose to provide an improved display case.

Another purpose is to provide an improved means for holding theglass members of display cases.

Another purpose is to provide improved mold-.- ing means for maintaining the display case parts in position.

Another purpose is to provide means for readily and quickly assembling and disassembling the parts of showcases and the like.

The present application is a continuation-inpart of my earlier filed, copending application Serial No. 784,499 for Showcase and Combined Structural and Light Reflector Element Therefor, filed in the United States Patent Office on November 6, 1947.

Other purposes will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line 3-3 of Figure 1; and

Figure 4 is a partial vertical section, similar to Figure 2, illustrating a variant form of the device.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A generally illustrates a show or display case having side members I and 2, the details of which do not of themselves form part of the present invention. Connecting the parts I and 2 is a lower structure, preferably including a front transparent pane 3 and a top transparent pane 4. The top pane 4 is shown as resting along its side edges on a molding 5, of which one may extend along the opposed inner walls of each of the members I and 2. The molding 5 has a rear top portion 6 terminating in a face flush with the top of the pane 4. It includes also a forwardly extending supporting ledge I, the lower face of which is defined by a fillet 8. A base portion or section 9 may connect or extend between the members I and 2 at the bottom. It is shown as having an inclined forward wall If] and a bottom wall II. In the form of Figure 2, the bottom wall II has a forward flange I2 formed and proportioned to rest upon the upper inner portion or edge of the forward wall I0.

Mounted upon or screwed to the upper surface of the member ID is a receiving angle I3 with a bottom flange I4 and a front flange I5. I6 is any suitable rear member adapted to define, with the members I4 or IS, a slot or cavity adapted to receive the lower edge of the pane 3. The forward edge of the pane 4 and the upper edge of the pane 3 are connected by a compound structure, herein shown as of sheet metal, for receiving the pane edges and also for supporting and masking a light source. The connecting member may include, for example, a front element I1 integral with which is a top member I8, the two being connected by a bend I 9. The members I! and I8 are so proportioned as to. overlie the edges of the panes 3 and 4. An inner mem-. ber 20, preferably also of sheet metal, includes a portion 2| abutting against the member IIand a portion 22 abutting against the member I8.

The member 2| terminates in an inwardly extending angle 23 with its edge flange 24, which with the lower edge of the member I1, defines a slot to receive the upper edge of the pane 3. The member 22 terminates in a downwardly bent angle portion 25 and a portion 26 parallel with and conforming to the lower face of the pane 4. The member 26, in turn, terminates in a downwardly bent deflector portion 21. The portion 22 of the inner member 23 may be downwardly bent at its ends, or may receive downwardly bent ears or supports 28 between which any suitable light source 29 may be mounted. This light source, for example, in the form of a tube with an incandescent lighting member, is substantially masked from the direct observation or line of sight of any user of the showcase.

It will be clear that I thus provide a unitary element which not only connects the edges of the panes 3 and 4, but also both supports and shields a lighting source for lighting material under display in the space rearwardly and below the two panes.

It will be noted that, in the form of Figure 2, the member I3 is secured by any suitable screws 30. In the form of Figure 4, I employ a variant means for supporting the angle I3 in place. The lower member I4 may extend into a slot 3| in an upper portion of the front wall I0. Aligned with this slot are a plurality of apertures 32, through which may be inserted screws 33. The filler block or member I6 is omitted, and the forward surface of the wall member abuts against and supports the rear surface of the lower edge of the pane 3.

With reference to Figure 2, the rear edge of the top pane 4 is secured to the rear wall 34 by means of an angular member 35, having a top flange 35 overlying the pane 4 and a side flange 31, which extends into a slot 38 in the rear wall 36. Aligned with the slot are a plurality of apertures 39 through which may be inserted securin screws 40 for the angular member 35.

It will be realized that, whereas, I have described and illustrated a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may be made in the size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore wish my description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative or diagrammatic, rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

Iclaim:

1. For use in a display and showcase structure, a structural member having an angularly bent body portion including glass receiving channels along opposite edges of the body portion, said channels being formed and adapted to position the glass panes to lie in planes generally continuous with adjacent surfaces of said body portion, said structural member including an inner element having edge portions forming inner components of said glass receiving channels and an outer element secured thereto, having edge portions forming outer components of said channels, the inner member having an integral strut portion forming a generally triangular structural element.

2. A show case structure including an angularly bent body portion extending horizontally across the front of the top of the show case, said body portion having glass receiving channels along opposite edges, front and top panes of glass entering said channels, and a light source 4 mounted upon said body portion, said body portion constituting a mask for said light source Whereby'it is concealed from direct observation of customers looking at the show case structure from in front and above, said body portion being of sheet metal, and being formed of two sheet metal parts, the outside one being angularly bent to form two plane surfaces generally parallel respectively with the front pane of glass of the show case and the top pane of glass, and overlying said panes, the inside sheet metal part being welded to the inner face of the outside sheet metal part adjacent its front lower edge, and adjacent its top rear edge to prevent all relative motion between said two sheet metal parts, and having an intermediate straight inflexible strut portion of substantially the same thickness as the outside sheet metal part extending the full length of said body portion, and adapted to form, withthe outside metal part, a reinforced structural member.

PAUL M. RESSINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 634,701 Petz Oct. 10, 1899 2,336,416 Parker Dec. 7, 1943 2,351,335 Holmes June 13, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 495,757 Germany Apr. 10, 1930 

